Rail telecoms specialist on track for growth after NPIF II funding boost

MRC Engineering has raised funding from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) to invest in new technology and create four new jobs.

MRC - one of the few UK companies that specialise in telecoms design - works with Network Rail, train operators and contractors that instal the systems. It designs everything from cable infrastructure and standard phone networks to signal controls, station information displays and CCTV.

The company is currently working on projects at Bradford and Shipley stations as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, and improvement works at Manchester Piccadilly, while previous projects have included designing systems for the new Northumberland passenger line.

MRC was established in 2013 by Martin Hughes, who has almost 20 years’ experience in rail telecoms, and his wife Sarah. It is accredited under the Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) and focuses solely on new rail project and improvement works. The company, which currently employs five staff and has its own apprenticeship scheme, serves clients including Balfour Beatty, GallifordTry, Bombardier and Northern Rail.

Martin Hughes, founder and Managing Director of MCR Engineering, said: "Rail infrastructure is synonymous with trains and track, however telecoms systems such as signal controls and station displays are essential to keep the railways running. Designing these systems is a specialist skill. As many big contractors no longer have their own telecoms design teams, we aim to fill the gap. The funding will help us expand our business and train new designers to meet the growing demand.”

Rebecca Pickering of Mercia Debt added: “Martin and Sarah have worked hard to establish MRC as a leading independent consultancy and, due to the challenge of recruiting skilled staff, have even developed their own training scheme. As there are very few telecoms designers and many are approaching retirement age, MRC is playing an important role in delivering the skills the UK needs to develop the future rail network.”

Sarah Newbould, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank said: “MRC Engineering is a great example of the innovative and highly skilled businesses we are supporting across the North. The team is applying specialist expertise to nationally important rail projects and creating high-quality jobs in Doncaster. This is exactly the type of business we aim to back through NPIF II, supporting economic growth across the region, and I look forward to seeing the next stage of their development.”

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.